The Soldier from the Past
by uscfbfan
Summary: A fic that looks at Booth's past experiences and his relationship with his family. Booth/Brennan. Parker also appears in this story. Please review and let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. I put it on my Christmas list, but it wouldn't fit in my stocking.

A Soldier from the Past

Chapter One:

Booth trotted up the steps of the platform of the Jeffersonian to look for his partner. They were supposed to go for lunch today, a weekly dining out between friends/colleagues. He looked around for her. She wasn't standing around any bones, which was strange to him. Booth jogged over to her office and was puzzled to not find her there.

He spotted Zach Addy scrambling across the platform. "Zach, where's Bones." Booth asked him. His stomach was rumbling.

"At the Angelator." He replied, going back to what he needed to do.

"Thanks Zach."

Booth wondered over to the room. It was dark, which meant that Angela must have a reconstruction to show Brennan. He walked into the room. "Hey Bones. Hey Ange." He looked up at the screen to see what it was they were working on this time.

'Hi Booth. We will be done in one minute. Angela is helping me identify some remains the government sent me from Iraq." She informed him.

He paused looking at the man on the screen. Brennan heard him take a deep breath. Booth was getting dizzy, he couldn't breathe. The horror of war came flooding back to him. Panic over took his body, he had to get out of there and quick. His legs refused to move though.

She flipped on the lights. She ran over to her partner. "Angela, shut it off. Booth breathe!" Her eyes connected with his. "Booth!"

He took a deep breath, in, and exhaled deeply. His feet began to ache, his shoulders began to ache. He was back in the damn country and nothing right now was getting him out of his nightmare. Booth took off sprinting out of the lab, uncertain of what to do now. He was vaguely aware of his partner's voice behind him. The concern was evident in her voice, he just couldn't face it right now.

Brennan watched helplessly as she watched him regression into another time, another place. She wished she could help him, but nothing she could do would stop him from reliving the horrors that he had been through. She watched as he sprinted out of the lab.

"What was that all about?" Angela wondered aloud.

"Tell Cam I'm taking the rest of the day off." Brennan requested. She needed to figure out a way to help him. She grabbed her jacket and took off toward the door, intending on going after him.

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Brennan pulled up several hours later, not finding him at any of their usual spots. The rain had started coming down in buckets. She hoped he wouldn't have stayed out in the pouring rain. She let herself in and started making herself a cup of tea. Brennan jumped into the shower, trying to warm herself up after the cold December rain had chilled her to the bone.

She pulled a blanket out of the closet and immersed herself into watching the history channel. Nothing could seem to hold her attention, so she walked over to the window with her cell phone. She decided it was time to call him, hoping he would be okay.

She got his voicemail. "Booth, it's me. Call me as soon as you get this." She requested. She threw her cell phone back onto the couch grabbing her tea. The rain fell steadily now. God, she hoped he was okay.

She leaned into her couch, and was getting ready to let worry and sleep consume her when she heard a knock on her door.

"Bones." His voice was almost a whisper.

She opened the door letting him quickly. She noted he was soaked. "Booth you haven't been out in this weather this entire time have you?"

He nodded mutely. He seemed so lost. "Booth come back to me." She grabbed him and engulfed him in a hug, not caring she was getting her dry clothes wet.

"I need you Bones." Booth seemed to croak out. His eyes sought hers. "Please don't leave me."

This wasn't the Booth she knew. She searched his eyes for his strength, but found someone full of fear. "Come on Booth. Let's get you into some of your spare sweats you left here last week after our workout. I don't want you catching a cold."

She took his hand, leading him down the hallway and into her room. She pulled out his spare sweats and tossed them on the bed. "I'll get out of here so you can use the shower." He whispered a thanks to her and quickly stripped himself of his wet garments to hopefully wash away his past, his sins, in the saving grace of his partner's shower.

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Brennan waited in the living room for, pacing with her cup of tea in one hand, sipping occasionally from it. Something had her partner distraught, and it had to do with the remains that were brought in today. She sighed, knowing that Booth was going to have to face his inner demons, hoping that he would find the strength to let her help him.

Booth walked out of her room, feeling refreshed, but the nightmares were still plaguing his mine. He just wanted it to go away. He still heard the voices in his head, the screaming, the shouting, the anguish.

He needed to tell her. He needed to confide in someone who would just listen, who would just love him. He had attempted to talk with his father about the horrors of war, hoping he would understand . . . but that attempt was futile. His brother, the golden child, just regarded him as a screw up. He searched the room for the one person who would understand him.

Brennan was standing next to the window, staring out at the lights of DC. She saw his reflection in the window. Putting down her cup she walked over to him, and wrapped him up in her arms.

She didn't know what to do for him other than to be there for him. "Bones." His voice was barely a whisper. "I need you."

He tilted her chin up and searched her eyes for permission. His mouth found hers and she granted access. Booth had thought of this moment for about a year and a half now, when he realized his feelings for her, he just never realized how much he needed her. He drank her in hungrily, needing to savor this moment. They broke for air, and he wordlessly led her to her bedroom where she was going to chase away his nightmares.

**AN: I know - yet again - another idea that was plaguing me last night, and I am now running off of two hours of sleep. Let me know what you think. Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Booth woke up early the next morning, skin on skin. He wondered about the consequences of their actions. He was getting ready to move out of the bed and pace the apartment, but something was keeping him in that bed. When he shifted, the sheet had fallen slightly, revealing his partner's shoulder. He nuzzled his partner's neck, placing a kiss on her bare shoulder. She was so beautiful, so peaceful. He propped his head up so he could study her better, tracing every curve of her body. He looked at the clock, it was extremely early.

He heard her whisper his name. "Seeley Booth . . . it's three a.m." She murmured.

"Yeah." Booth whispered back in her ear, before placing feather light kisses along her jaw line. She turned to give him better access to her mouth, which he quickly devoured. The moonlight poured into her windows and she let her eyes flutter open to find him hovering above her. It was a sight she could have woken up to every morning.

She brought her hand up, tracing his lips with her gentle touch. No one had ever touched him like that.

"Booth we have to be at work in a couple of hours." She tried to reason with him, she was trying to shift to go back to sleep, but he didn't want to, not yet.

He gazed into her eyes and descended his mouth on hers in a soft, tender kiss. He slid his hand to her left breast and tweaked her nipple, causing her to gasp, opening her mouth slightly. He took the opportunity and slid his tongue in and deepened the kiss.

They made love again . . . and Brennan didn't think that he could top from the night before, but he managed to keep a few surprises up his sleeve. Booth played with her dark tresses as she snuggled into his chest. He breathed deeply, inhaling her scent. "Thank you Bones." He whispered.

"I didn't do anything." She told him back, confused on why he would be thanking her.

"You just accept me as I am." He told her, she could tell that he was exhausted. The honesty of what he was revealing to her shocked her. She figured they would have the talk in the morning. She let his heart beat lull her into a sleep.

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Booth slept well for about an hour until a nightmare over took his otherwise peaceful sleep.

She heard him muttering, "Oh God! Stop, please stop." His fist were grabbing at the sheets.

Brennan woke up when he shot straight up, he was breathing hard, his body covered with sweat.

She reached out and stroked his face. "Booth, wake up." She said softly. Booth seemed to realize he was safe. He breathing began to even out. "God Booth." She was leaning next to him how on the bed. "What the hell happened to you out there?" She pulled him into a hug, whispering that he was going to be okay over and over again.

He looked over at her. "I don't know if it will be okay." He pulled himself off the bed, pulling on his boxers which were thrown haphazardly on the ground from their frantic lovemaking the night before.

Brennan sat in the bed, wondering what happened. She heard him pacing around in the kitchen and pulled the sheet around her, walking out to see him. "Booth." She addressed him. In the moonlight, she saw him standing by the window, just where they were several hours before. She saw the scars running down his back. She walked behind him and traced a couple of the scars on his back. "Did those bastards do this to you?"

He mutely nodded, tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away frantically, trying to keep up his Paladin demeanor. "They would come in and pick one of us from the cell. They would string us up so our feet couldn't touch the ground and beat our feet with pipes." He told her. She nodded, he had already revealed that once before. "Then when they were done doing that, they would burn us or give us lashing. They wanted us to scream." Booth told her. Tears were forming at her eyes. She knew the kind of atrocities that occurred in war, but had hoped that Booth would have escaped most of it. She know knew that her hopes were in vain.

"I couldn't save him Bones."

"Who was the victim that I was working on yesterday?" She questioned him softly.

"Michael Holmes. He was my spotter." Booth told her. He started pacing. "We were inserted at a top secret location, our mission was to take out a confirmed terrorist who was attacking the different bases we had set up in country." He closed his eyes. "We were taking out their convoy, when they started firing back. Michael was hit. I covered him with my own body, but the wounds he sustained was fatal. I tried to bring his body back home, but I was captured."

He sank to his knees and cried freely. "You did all you could Booth." She told him. She was hoping that the logical side of him would kick in. She held him for a couple more minutes. "Why don't you go jump into the shower? I'll call into work."

"Bones you love work. You don't need to take a day off work because I'm a mess right now."

"I wouldn't get anything done today. I need to be here with you. Don't argue with me." She reasoned with him. "You have done so much for me. Let me be there for you."

He gazed around. "Can we at least go to my place and get a change of clothes?"

"Sure." She smiled easily at him. "I just have to change out of this sheet and get a shower after you."

"I think you look great in the sheet."

She smiled at him, blushing slightly. "I don't want to be arrested again." She winked at him as he trudged to the shower. She hoped that together they could get through Booth's past horrors.

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Cam was surprisingly understanding about Brennan taking a personal day, giving Zach her work on the victim. She even suggested that Brennan take the rest of the week.

"Booth." She addressed him as he came out of the bedroom. "Cam gave me the rest of the week." She studied him, he looked tired, but better than what he was yesterday. She handed him some fresh coffee.

"I'm sure that Cullen will give me the rest of the week as well." Booth told her. He took a sip of his coffee, allowing the hot liquid to spill down his throat.

"I'll be in the shower if you need me." She informed him, getting up from the bar stool. Booth saw that it was Wednesday. It was their day for their session with Dr. Sweets. Booth sighed, not wanting to go to the session. "Oh, and don't try getting out of the session today."

"I wouldn't dream of it Bones." He answered her watching her father the sheet. He picked up his cellphone and prayed that Cullen would give the time off he needed.

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Brennan looked around her room picking up the items on the ground from the night before. She found his Saint Christopher medal on the ground and picked it up. She flipped it over and saw the inscription on the back. "Saint Christopher Protect Us." She put it on the dresser, mentally reminding herself to give him the medal back.

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AN: There are so many places I could take this. I would like to explore Booth's relationship with his family. I think I am going to write in the therapy session, plowing further into Booth's need to protect Bones . . . I did leave room in the story for there to be angst/romance/ (a pregnancy maybe). This is different for me, I don't really have this one planned. Does anyone have any ideas? Please review. It rocks my socks.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Dr. Sweets looked at the clock waiting for his next appointment to come barreling through the door, arguing as always. Dr. Sweets always enjoyed the meeting with the two, well, he minded the insults that Agent Booth always seemed to throw his way. He knew from day one that the line that they spoke about would probably be crossed. He was worried about the fall out that would happen when that day would come.

He heard them before he saw them. "Booth, I don't understand why I can't drive. I mean today we have the day off, except for this. I should be able to drive."

"Yeah, well Bones, you have never driven something as big as my SUV, and it is company issued, so I think I should be the only one driving." He rationalized with her. "Look when we take your car to go hiking in the park today, you can drive. Is that fine?"

"Fine." She huffed down into the chair and the Saint Christopher's medal which she had stuffed into her pocket came falling out. She reached down and handed it to him. "You left this on the floor last night."

Booth reached out and took it from her and promptly hung it back around his neck. "Thanks Bones."

Dr. Sweets noted the exchanged between the two and cleared his throat to let them know that he was also in the room. "Good morning. Were you up late last night working a case?" He asked them. He gathered from their partnership that they would often work late in each other's apartments.

"No most of our cases are rapped up and in paperwork stages." Bones informed him.

"That must be nice then for a change. Do you guys often get together after work to hang out?"

"Hanging doesn't normally occur." Bones told him.

Booth shook his head and chuckled. "No Bones, hanging out, like getting together and spending time together. We get together sometimes after cases wrap up." He informed the psychiatrist.

"But you didn't have any cases, so why did you get together last night?" Sweets wondered.

"Booth needed a friend, and I was there. It meant nothing last night." Brennan tried to explain.

The words stung a little. Booth mulled over what she said in his head. Did it really mean nothing to her? He stored that in his mental file to talk to her about outside the confines of prying ears. The FBI didn't need to know how deep their relationship actually ran. "Yeah. Friends just hanging out. Bones was helping me with a demon from the past."

Bones looked over at him, thankful that their friendship would survive what happened last night in a heat of emotions. She knew that she was just helping him through a rough night, and she didn't mind that. It was just two people satisfying their biological urges, right?

"Which demon would that be?" Sweets' voice stopped both of their thoughts. He had access to their personal files, and knew that Booth had several demons that his partner probably didn't know about.

"Iraq, something that you wouldn't understand." Booth said.

"Agent Booth, I work all the time with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I think I can help you if you let me." Sweets reasoned with him.

"These sessions are about my working relationship with Bones, and keeping us together. Not about what happened in some damn country five years ago that no one else can understand!" Booth argued with him. He could feel his temper rising. He didn't want Sweets to get the best of him. "Why don't you give us some foam and tell us to hit each other or something?" He asked trying to get off the topic of him. Unfortunately for him, Sweets didn't buy it and continued on the topic.

"Agent Booth if you indeed have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, how can you adequately have your partner's back at a crimes scene?" Sweets questioned him. Booth got up from the chair and started pacing.

"I don't know why you people need to think I am a helpless damsel in distress. I can take care of myself. And how many times do I need to impress on you not to jump all over my partner."

"Bones, how can I protect you if I couldn't even protect Michael?" He questioned this. "I don't think I can do this right now." He stormed out of the office. "Bones, I'll be in the car." He called back to her over his shoulder.

She got eye to eye with Sweets. "I know I don't believe that Saints and Idols can protect people, but you better hope that his Saint Christopher medal around his neck holds some kind of mystic power that can save him from his past."

"Dr. Brennan sometimes the best thing that is going to help people through that is not some mystic medal hanging around their neck but the friends that they have come to rely on." Sweets said calmly. He studied her.

"What if I can't get through to him?" She wondered softly.

"Dr. Brennan, I meant everything I said when we first started. You and Booth have a deep emotional connection to each other. I believe firmly that you could get through him."

Brennan sat in the office and milled over everything that had happened in such short time.

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Booth sat in the front of the car waiting for his partner to finish up with the twelve year old psychiatrist who was becoming a pain in his ass. The words she had said in the office were in the middle of plaguing his mind. He couldn't believe that she had referred to the night that they had as nothing. He watched her come out of the Hoover building deep in thought. She didn't even notice when she bumped into someone causing them to drop papers all over the place.

He knew that he would never confront her about calling it nothing. It meant something to him, but even he wasn't sure what it meant. He also knew though that he never felt so at ease, so in love with someone before. Booth never wanted to scare her away, so he decided right then to keep his mouth shut. They would broach the topic when she brought it up. She would have to come to terms with what happened in her own mind. The ball was in her court, and he knew that he didn't like the feeling of the loss of control.

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Brennan and Booth each played the words that each other spoke over and over in their heads as they walked through the snow filled park. The wind picked up slightly. Booth saw her shiver slightly, and being the gentleman, he took off his scarf to give it to her.

"Booth I'll be fine without the scarf." She protested as he wrapped it around her.

"Don't be silly, I'm better dressed for the weather then you." He argued back with her.

Truth be told she was a little colder than what she thought she would be, and she gratefully accepted his gesture, adjusting the scarf slightly. She smiled back at him.

He let their night together replay in his mind. He knew in his heart that it was definitely more than nothing, and those words that she spoke in Sweets' office just kept replaying over and over in his mind. "Bones I've been thinking about last night." She turned her head toward him, giving him a look. He continued on, "I don't want anything to mess up our friendship." He paused trying to figure out a way to tell her how much he loved her. "Bones . . ."

"Booth," She said right at the same time.

"You first." He allowed, being the proper gentleman that is mother raised.

She smile, and choosing her words wisely, she spoke softly. "Booth, our friendship will be able to withstand a night of us letting our emotions overrule our heads. You needed me, and I needed you. We both filled for each other the thing we were seeking last night. Our sleeping together was more than nothing, but let's not make a big deal out of it." She rationalized. She wanted to tell him that she wanted more, but felt that it wasn't the time. "Now, what did you want to say?" She questioned. Her cell phone rang, and she shot him an apologetic look. "It's the lab."

He waited patiently for her to finish the call. She finished and looked at him expectantly. "You summed it up." Booth replied holding his feelings back. She obviously wanted nothing more from him than friendship. "Who was on the phone?"

"Booth they are releasing Michael's body today. Somebody needs to notify the family. I said I would give them a call." She regrettably informed him.

"No Bones, this is something tat has to be done in person by me." He explained to her. He sighed. It wasn't often that he went back to Philly, but he needed to do this. "It's my weekend with Parker, I'll have to call Rebecca to see if she will give him to me for the next couple of days, or if we can swap." He hoped that Rebecca didn't give him any grief.

Rebecca was very gracious and let Booth have his son for the next couple of days. She and Captain Fantastic had plans, and she was ecstatic to have several more days alone with him.

Booth watched the snow fall, flakes landing in her hair. "Bones can you come with me?" He whispered.

"Like you were going to keep me away." She replied. He put his hand on the familiar area on her back as he led her out of the park. She listened as he called his mother to let her know that they would be in town. She shrieked excitedly and Booth held the phone several feet away from his ear. Booth shot her a grateful smile.

He would need her there with him if he was going to make it through the weekend.

**AN: From what I was reading is that Booth has a brother named Jared who is the golden boy, and his father doesn't really understand him. Does anyone know what episode that he let more of his family history out in. Otherwise, I'll make it up (it might be better that way). Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

The ride to Philadelphia went rather smoothly. He was pointing out the sights to the city, and rattled on about the history of the city. Parker, who had slept during most of the ride, woke up and was chatting on about everything he knew. "Bones did you know that Philly is called the city of Brotherly love?" Parker asked, his voice still a little laden with sleep.

"Did you know that the liberty bell is housed here?" She informed the youngster. When he replied that he wanted to see it, Booth and Brennan both made a mental note to take the child to go see it.

"Bones, I hope you don't mind, but I booked a hotel room. I didn't think I should impose on my parents such last minute. They only had one room available though." Booth spoke, trying to weave through the traffic.

"Oh no, it's not a problem." She answered him.

He smiled at her, getting off at the exit that would soon bring him back to a past that he had spent most of his adult life trying to escape.

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Brennan saw Booth clutch the steering wheel tighter as he drove through the neighborhood. To any untrained eye, the thought would be that he was concentrating on the road as not to skid on any ice that had formed, but Brennan knew better. The anxiety was rolling off of Booth in waves.

Booth pulled up to a quaint two story, brick, tree lined neighborhood. "This is a nice neighborhood." Brennan commented. The houses were still decorated from the Christmas holidays. Brennan wondered what they would do for the New Year's Holiday that would be quickly descending upon them while they were there.

"It's where I grew up." Booth answered. He started pointing out the houses to Brennan, naming the people who lived there, and what happened to his friends who were once in the neighborhood.

While talking to his mother before they drove up, Booth made sure that it would be okay for them to drop Parker off while on business. She had said okay, looking forward to being able to spend some time with her only grandson. Booth pulled into his parent's driveway. Parker had fallen back asleep, so he skillfully unbuckled his son from his child seat, and Brennan held the toy filled knapsack.

She rang the bell for him. Brennan saw Martha Booth look through the window. She opened the door and understood that Booth was going to put Parker in bed. When Booth made it up the stairs, Brennan stuck out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Booth's partner, Temperance Brennan." She introduced herself.

"Martha Booth." She smiled at the person in front of her. Martha and her son didn't speak as often as she would like, but when they did, his stories were full of stories about his partner. "Booth has told me so much about you."

Booth came down the stairs. "And it was all good." He told his partner. "Mom, thanks for watching him. He slept for a couple of hours now, so unfortunately he might wake up any moment now. He has some DVDs and a portable player in his knapsack and a spare change of clothes just in case."

"Seeley, you act like I haven't raised two boys of my own." She admonished him.

"Mom, just humor me." He gave his mother an awkward kiss on the cheek. "I have to go down and see Mr. and Mrs. Holmes for a couple of minutes."

Martha nodded her head. "Dinner will be ready at seven. We are having chicken and Alfredo. Will you and Temperance be back in time?"

"We should be Mom. Is Dad going to be home?" Booth asked.

"He should be closing up anytime now. Jared will be coming with the girls. Mindy needed to work late tonight." Martha informed him.

"Thanks for watching Parks again Mom." Booth was grateful that Parker wouldn't have to witness this.

"You know Seeley, we wish that we could see more of him." She told him, showing them the door.

"I wish I could too Mom." Booth was not in the mood for this. "Duty calls. Bones and I will be back soon. You have my phone number in case Parker needs me." He ushered Bones out the front door.

Brennan gave her partner a long hard look. "She seemed nice." She tried making small talk as they walked three door down to the Holmes household.

"You don't have to lie to me Bones." Booth flashed one of his smiles to her. Booth knew his mother could be a little unbearable. He paused when they stopped in front of the house, three doors down from his own childhood home. The house had garland hung from the banisters and a Merry Christmas wreath on the door. Adorning the flagpole was a POW MIA flag. He steeled himself for what was going to happen.

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Booth rang the doorbell, his hand sought her hand for support. She gave him a quick squeeze of the hand before letting go. Cathy opened the door.

"Seeley Booth. What a surprise!" Cathy hugged Booth.

"Mrs. Holmes, this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan." He introduced her as he was returning Mrs. Holmes embrace.

"Nice to meet you." She shook Brennan's hand.

"Mrs. Holmes, is everyone home?" Booth asked as she escorted them inside.

"I'll call for them. Nothing has changed. Make yourselves at home. I'll be right back." She left them standing in the foyer. Booth and Brennan took off their shoes to not track snow inside and made their way to the sitting room. A few moments later, they were joined by Mrs. Holmes, and whom Brennan could assume was Mr. Holmes. Behind them stood a woman.

"Molly." He went over and hugged the woman.

"Seels you came home for the New Year?" Molly asked.

Booth decided not to answer her and instead escorted Molly to the couch and sat next to her, holding her hand. Brennan smiled at the tenderness, although it didn't surprise her. "Molls, Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, my partner identified some remains that were sent to her from the military. It was Michael." He spoke softly.

Tears sprang to their eyes. "Thank you for bring him home Seeley." Mr. Holmes spoke out, holding his wife.

A little boy walked into the room. Molly went over and picked him up. "Christopher Seeley Holmes, I want you to meet your Daddy's best friend, Seeley. Seeley and your Daddy served together."

"Hi." The boy whispered.

Booth looked at the young boy. "Molls, you were pregnant when we went for the last tour of duty?" She nodded her head. Booth looked at him, he looked so much like Michael did at that age. "I have a son your age. If your mom says it's okay, I would like to take you out sledding." He told the young boy. Molly nodded her head, saying it was okay.

Brennan helped the Holmes arrange the transportation. They spent an hour at the household, exchanging stories about Booth and Michael, remembering the good things about the relationship. Brennan thought how nice it was. They said their goodbyes, Booth promising to bring Parker by soon for that sledding date. The duo made their way back to the house. Before they rang the bell, Booth looked at her, drinking her beauty in. "Bones, thank you." He told her honestly.

"I didn't do anything. You did the hard part." She replied.

"Yeah, but you were my strength back there."

"Anytime Booth, anytime."

He rang the bell. He heard Parker running through the house, looking through the window, waiting impatiently for his father. Martha let them in, and Booth immediately braced himself for a well rested hyperactive five year old.

* * *

**AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a filler, but needed. Please review, it rocks my socks.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

"Daddy!" Booth scooped his son up effortlessly and threw him high in the air. He giggled and squealed. "Where did you go?" Parker asked his father in between squeals.

"I had to go see an old friend of mine. She has a son your age, would you like to go sledding with him tomorrow?" Booth asked him. Brennan stood in the doorway, watching the two interact. "Bones and I were thinking you and Christopher could play for a little bit and then we would take you for brunch and then go see the liberty bell."

"So cool!" Parker surprised Booth and held his arms out to his partner. Brennan surprised him in return and held him for a couple of minutes while Booth took off his snow gear. He picked up the towel that his mother kept near the shoes for the snow and he wiped off the floor. He saw that several more sets of shoes were pilled up near the front door. His brother must be here.

Parker motioned that he wanted to be put down. Brennan read the signs right. "Bones can I show you what I was building in Daddy's old room?"

"Sure Honey." She replied. "Booth can you tell your mother we will be down in a bit?"

"Sure. Parks, wash up for dinner." He told his son sternly knowing that Parker often tried to skip out on that ritual.

Parker stuck out his hand waiting patiently for Brennan to take it. Brennan reached down and took his hand. Booth smiled watching his partner go off with his son. For a moment he had his mind fooled into thinking they were a perfect family.

Booth walked around the house, pausing every once in awhile to look at some of the childhood pictures that were placed strategically on the wall. "Seels, what are you doing home?"

He spun around at the sound of his brother's voice. "I had some business I had to attend to for a couple of moments."

"I never understood why you had to pick such an unpleasant job." His brother commented. It wasn't a secret that his family had always been a little disappointed in Booth's choices in his life. His brother always spoke the loudest.

"Because not all of us can have the personality of a dead fish. I wasn't cut out for eight years of school like you were Jared." He was getting ready to jump down his brother's throat when heard his mother in the kitchen humming a song. He walked in and a plucked a tomato from the salad she was working on.

"Hi Mom." He greeted her. "Is that a new jingle you are working on?"

"Yeah for a new product coming out." There were several seconds of awkward silence. "How were the Holmes?" Martha asked.

"They took it the best that they could. It's different from all other cases I have had to work on . . ."

"Seeley lets not talk about so unpleasant things." Martha changed the topic quickly. "Parker is a great kid. He reminds me so much of you when you were a child."

"I don't know if that is so much a good thing." Booth joked around with his mother This was a safe topic. Talking about his son was always a safe topic with his mother, that and his love life. Booth was like his mother in that way, in love with the idea of love, and full of pride for their children.

He talked a couple minutes with his mother about Parker's progress in school when he heard the door open. He heard the heavy footsteps and automatically knew it was his father. "Martha whose car is in the drive?"

"Seeley is here for a couple of days with Parker and his partner." She told him from her place in the kitchen. "Come on in and say hello to your son."

Booth's father walked inside the kitchen. "Seeley." He acknowledge his son.

"Dad." Booth stuck out his hand and his father shook it. "You are looking well."

"So are you." The elder Booth replied.

Booth stood for a couple of minutes not knowing what else to say, "I hear footsteps. Bones must be bringing down Parker now." He walked over to the stairs and saw his partner helping his son down the stairs.

"You are going to make a great architect one day." Brennan told him as they reached the last step.

"I'm going to be an agent like Daddy." Parker told her.

Brennan looked at her partner. He reached down and ruffled his son's hair. "You can be whatever you want to be Bub."

"Look what I built Daddy."

Booth crouched down to his son's level. He was holding a building he had put together carefully with his Leggos. "It's great Bub. Go in the kitchen and say hello to Grandpa."

Parker walked into the kitchen. Brennan squeezed his arm. "You okay?" She whispered.

"Yeah, just drained. We should go say hello to my father." Booth put his hand on the small of her back and led her to the kitchen.

"Dad this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan." Booth made the formal introductions. Brennan smiled and shook his hand.

"I'm Robert Booth." He shook her hand back. He studied the woman. She wasn't this son's normal type. "Since my son seems to have forgotten his manners, would you like something to drink. Your journey must have been long."

"No Sir, I'm quite alright." Booth rolled his eyes at his father picking at his manners. He hadn't lived at home in over seventeen years, and they had remodeled since then.

"Dad, I can't offer her something to drink since I don't know where anything is." He defended himself.

"Robert, don't go picking on him now, he just got home." Martha walked over and kissed her son on the cheek. Brennan noted the awkwardness between mother and son seemed to have dissipated with the arrival of the husband.

"Grandma, can I have some chocolate milk?" Parker asked.

Booth shook his head. "Parks, too close to bedtime."

"Of course you can. You can have anything from Grandma." Booth shook his head, sitting back knowing he wouldn't win that argument. Brennan glanced at the label noting it was sugar free. She told her partner, which made him feel a little better.

"Grandpa, Daddy and Bones had to come up her on ficial business." Parker explained, "But I feel like I get a vacation - I get to see you!" Parker rarely got times with his grandparents, and it wasn't that Booth didn't want to get him up there, it was that he barely got enough time with him as it was.

Robert Booth cast a glance at his son. "We found Michael." Booth explained. Robert nodded gravely.

"I think I will go see how Gene is doing after supper." He replied thoughtfully. Booth nodded and picked his son up and held him on his lap. Parker smiled, giving his father a sticky kiss on the cheek. He scooped his son up and took him to the sink to rinse his face off.

----------

They went to sit down for the family dinner. Jared walked in, and three little girls walked in tow. Booth made the formal introductions right before they sat down for dinner.

Martha had made a wonderful dinner, and received compliments from all around the table, with Parker being the loudest of the bunch. They all started speaking around the dinner table as dinner progressed. It was the first time that Brennan had ever felt like part of a real family since her parents had left her.

"So Dr. Brennan, what type of doctor are you?" Jared asked her politely over dessert.

"A forensic anthropologist." She answered him, helping Parker with the whip cream for his pie. "I am your brother's partner. We solve homicides."

"You don't have a gun in the house do you?" Jared spoke quickly. "Mindy doesn't allow the girls to be around weapons."

Booth shot his brother an icy glance, "Of course not. My son is in the house as well. It's in a lock box inside the compartment of the SUV, of which I am the only one with access to it. Don't worry."

Brennan knew how particular her partner was with his guns. He never left Parker alone with it. She could feel the tension between the brothers mount. She placed her hand on Booth's leg and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Booth looked up at the clock.

"Park, it's getting close to your bedtime. We better get a move on to the hotel." Booth told them picking up the plates, helping his mother in the kitchen. Parker was yawning, his head leaning up against Brennan's arm.

"Seeley you aren't staying in a hotel. I have the guest bedroom made upstairs for you and your partner. Parker can stay in your old room." She informed him as he was trying to make a get away.

Parker had fallen asleep by now. Jared's children were playing quietly in the living room. Brennan held Parker easily. "Mom, we shouldn't really allow Seeley and his partner share the same bed. I mean, no offense, we love Parker and all, but Seeley isn't exactly always 'careful.'" Jared took a direct stab at him.

Booth's eyes darkened. "Don't ever make a comment like that about my son again." He knew the whispers about him in the neighborhood.

"Honey, Jared didn't mean anything by it. You are an adult, free to live your own life and deal with the consequences." Martha inputted. She was trying to stop a fight before it started. Her sons had been competing since birth.

"Seeley, we just wish you would just be a little more traditional." Booth's father grounded out. Brennan had eased out of the room, not wanting Parker to wake up in the midst of a conversation that was going on about something that happened five years prior.

She looked out the window and noticed that the snow was falling heavily. She walked back in, and Booth immediately lowered his voice noting his son stirring in her arms.

"Booth, I don't think we should drive in this." Booth looked out the window, the snow coming down in buckets. He took Parker and immediately was calm.

"Daddy?" Parker whispered.

"Hey Bub. Daddy's going to put you to bed." He told his little boy. He walked up the stairs, removing himself from the situation. He heard Bones right behind him, not trusting herself to be alone with them yet.

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AN: Hope you guys are enjoying. Please review. More angst ahead with Booth and his family.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Booth watched Brennan stroke his son's hair, listening to him breathe. "I don't get to do this very often." He commented. Brennan walked over to him and set a hand on his shoulder, dropping slowly to the floor with him.

"You are a good father Booth." She reassured him. "Parker talks about you like you are his everything, and vice versa."

He helped her up and he silently closed the door. He started heading back down the stairs to grab their bags from the car. When the car was unloaded, they stowed their bags quickly and rejoined the family who was now immersed in watching a movie.

"How is Parker?" His mother inquired.

"Sleeping soundly now. He is a little drained from traveling so much." Booth and Brennan settled down on the loveseat which was the only place that was open. The movie soon ended and the little girls made their way upstairs to the room that was designated for them to sleep in.

Jared came back down the stairs to join the adults in the living room for coffee. His father soon returned from visiting the Holmes. "Seeley."

"Dad." He handed his father the cup of coffee that he just poured and got out another mug for himself. "How is Mr. Holmes?"

"As well as can be expected. They wanted to send their thanks. It's amazing how big little Chris is getting. Gene was holding up as well as he could be. They had already buried his son once, I don't think they were expecting to do it again." Robert explained. "I don't think I could have been strong enough to have to do it. I'm a little drained. I think I am going to retire now." He clapped Seeley on the shoulder and made his way up the stairs.

Booth looked at his father in amazement. His father had always been a little stand offish when it came to their relationship.

His mother leaned and kissed Booth on the cheek. "Seeley, I love you." She turned to Brennan, "Dear, it was really wonderful to meet you. Sleep well."

Brennan smiled at his mother, watching her retreat up the stairs with her husband. Her parents used to go to bed together every night. It was a nice memory that she had of the two of them.

The two brothers sat in the kitchen in silence, both unwilling to talk with one another. Brennan knew that her partner was still upset by his brother's comments, and she was appalled by his comments. She watched as Booth stood and silently walked over to the window, staring out at the falling snow.

"Seels, sorry about those comments. I should have never made them." Jared apologized. Booth looked at his brother. He didn't quit know what to say to that. He was hurt by the comments.

"Yeah, you should have never talked about Parker about being a consequence." Booth told him.

"I wasn't thinking. I had a hard day at work, and I didn't filter out my comments."

"But you were still thinking them Jared, and that is just as bad." Seeley countered back. "It's not okay and I am not going to let you think that it is okay." Brennan put his hand on his arm. She supported him in every single way.

Booth went over to the hallway and started putting on his snow gear. "Where are you going?" Brennan asked him. She was worried about him.

"I can't stay here. I can barely breathe." His eyes connected with hers. "I'm just going to go on a walk. I'll be back in twenty minutes or so."

She watched as he tossed on his jacket and ran out the door. She turned and looked at his brother. Jared was just sitting there, mute. She studied him for a moment. Jared looked nothing like his brother, he was shorter, not very muscular. His eyes were a different shade of brown, his hair a lighter brown than Booths.

"Dr. Brennan, it was a pleasure to meet you." Jared finally spoke.

"You can call me Temperance." She picked up the other coffee mugs and brought it to the sink, rinsing them out.

"Seeley doesn't deserve a woman like you." Jared told her.

"No, he deserves a hell of a lot better." She told him honestly. Jared retreated to his old room where his girls were sleeping to join them. Brennan bade him a goodbye and she took up residence on the couch, waiting for her partner to return.

----------

Martha Booth was a light sleeper. Being a mother to two boys had always made her a light sleeper, it was how she always caught Booth breaking curfew. She threw on her robe and went down the stairs. Her breathing hitched a little as she heard Brennan confess that her Seeley deserved better than her. She knew that her son had been in love with his partner from the first time he started talking about the aggravating, beautiful, intelligent, anthropologist. He called her a pain in his ass, she knew that he was in love.

She shot her son, Jared, a look as he went to bed. She loved both of her sons, differently albeit, but equally. Jared had always needed his parents more, had always depended on his parents more for everything. Seeley, well, he probably came out of the womb ready to take on the world. They were different as two brother could be, but each as special in her heart.

Brennan heard the sound of footsteps behind her, she looked at Martha Booth and smiled. "I'm sorry if I woke you Mrs. Booth." She apologized.

"Please don't call me Mrs. Booth, that is Seeley's grandmother's name. She was a rotten old woman, God bless her soul. Call me Martha." She handed Brennan a blanket.

"Thank you Martha."

"Mind if a worried mother sits next to you for a couple of minutes?" Martha asked tentatively.

"Of course you can." Brennan patted the cushion next to her. She sipped on her tea a little bit.

"Please don't think we are bad parents to Seeley." Martha spoke up abruptly as she sat down next to Brennan. "We just grew apart with life happening."

"Martha, I don't know what to think." She answered her honestly. She felt that there was some kind of favoritism being displayed.

"My boys are as different as night and day. Jared always excelled well at school, never got into any trouble, always played the straight and narrow. Seeley came into this world fighting." Martha paused. "Seeley was premature by almost six weeks, and in 1972 it was almost unheard of a child surviving those circumstances. He spent almost 80 days in the NICU before I got to bring my baby boy home."

Brennan didn't know what to say, or why Martha was telling her these things about the family, but Brennan sat back and listened.

"Robert and I spent almost every single day at that hospital until we were kicked out. Jared was almost five when Seeley was born. I was so scared when we brought him home. He was so little. At three months he weighed six pounds. He was so fragile." Martha smiled. "I never thought he would catch up. I was more protective over him, probably overprotective to a fault. Every milestone he reach was more special because it was one that the doctors never thought he would reach them. I think Jared picked up on that." She sighed.

Brennan studied the woman. She had reached under the coffee table and brought out a picture box. She took out one picture and handed it to her. "Seeley's kindergarten graduation." Brennan studied the picture.

"He looks so much like Parker, only his hair is darker." She observed.

"That's my favorite picture." She rifled through the picture more. She found more of him growing up. He had caught up with his peers. "Here he is playing football." Brennan smiled at the all-American boy that was her partner. "One day I realized that he didn't need me as much. He was a great kid, but he started causing a lot of problems in high school, doing what boys do. He broke curfew, skipped classes at times. Him and his father fought like fathers and sons do. We only wanted the best for him. Robert and I didn't have a lot of money. Jared went to college on an academic scholarship. Seeley had gone to college and joined the ROTC. I was so worried." She pulled out a picture.

"What is this one of?" Brennan asked her. Booth was in uniform, shaking hands with another man.

"His commissioning ceremony. March 1994. I was so proud of him, to see him go from the fragile child he was to the strong Army officer. Robert was upset. He didn't want his son to follow in his footsteps. The two are more alike then what they want to admit. Seeley advanced quickly through the ranks. I cried the day he had to go to Kosovo. Robert couldn't console me though. He kept saying that Seeley knew what could happen when he signed up. It made me so mad. I just wanted to protect him from everything. When he came back from Kosovo, he was no longer the little boy that was so happy. That's why I named him that, Seeley means very happy." She sighed. "My baby had changed. That damn place changed him."

"He told me a little bit about his days in the service." Brennan squeezed Martha's hand.

"He needs to talk about it with someone. We thought the worse was over, and then he got the call to go to Iraq in 2003. He had retreated into someplace inside himself. Parker was just born. He had to leave her two weeks later. I think she always punished him for having a sense of duty to this country. Then we got the news he was missing in action. I prayed every night for him. When he was finally rescued, he refused to let anyone in. I watched him for days. He didn't talk, he didn't eat. One day when Rebecca left Parker with him, Parker called him Daddy, and something in him clicked. Since then, I have seen my boy again, but his past still haunts him. Please Temperance, don't let him regress back into himself."

"I'll do my best." Brennan took in everything she was told. His parents just didn't know how to help their son anymore, and it was a helpless feeling. She vowed from that point to make sure that he always knew that he could turn to her.

Brennan watched Martha go back upstairs. She settled back down on the couch after getting some water from the kitchen, waiting for Booth to return from clearing his head. She heard the sound of the door opening. He stepped into the house, knocking his shoes free of the snow.

She walked over to him and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and gave him a hug. Tears were fresh in his eyes. He cursed at his weakness, for needing someone. "I will always be here for you Seeley." She promised him.

"Thank you Bones." He whispered over and over. She stroked his hair, giving him the comfort he so desperately needed.

Martha stood at the top of the stairs, watching the scene unfold. Temperance Brennan was definitely a needed person in her son's life.

* * *

**AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to say thank you to all of those who have pressed the button to review, it feeds the writers soul, and to those who have put me on alert, it is much appreciated. Anyway, what would you like to see happen? I thought we needed to know more about Booth and his mother's relationship. My timeline for Booth goes as follows: 1972 -he was born, 1990: Graduated High School, 1994: Graduated college, commissioned to Army, Spent 10 years in the Army, out in 2004, started working for the FBI sometime that year. Does that sound about right? Oh, I have the flu, so pardon if my writing seems a little strange, delirium does strange things to me. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Booth and Brennan sat in front of the fire for a while after Booth reappeared from his disappearing act. He muttered apologizes for leaving Brennan with his family, which she immediately dismissed. Brennan in true form called Angela, whom she knew would be awake to make sure that there was nothing they needed help with. Finding out that she was not needed, she sighed and hung up the phone.

"The murderers decided to take a break for the New Year holiday." Booth commented staring into the fire. "It's a good thing Bones."

"I know." She leaned into the fire, watching the flames dance in front of their faces. "We should be heading up to bed."

"A couple more minutes Bones." He whispered.

"Okay." She looked at him inquisitively, and Booth being the expert he was at body language saw the look.

"I don't think I could handle the nightmares tonight." He admitted to her.

She reached out and cupped his cheek, her hand giving him more comfort than what she knew. His hand reached up and met hers. He placed a kiss in the palm of her hand, thanking her for being there with him.

She watched him watch the fire for a little longer, listening to the crackling flames. His eyes started to drop. "Booth we should really head upstairs to the room." She told him.

He nodded. He turned off the gas logs and followed his partner up the stairs to try to get some rest before they would have to take two little boys sledding.

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Brennan woke early the next morning. She turned and looked at the clock, 6:00 AM flashed in the bright red numbers. Her circadian rhythm never let her sleep much past that. She stretched in the bed, debating on whether to get up or not. She went to move when she heard him murmur in his sleep.

"Stop, please dear God, stop!" Tears were streaming from his still closed eyes. She couldn't stand seeing him like this, defenseless, fighting his demons.

"Booth wake up," She urged him, putting her hand on his bicep to comfort him.

She saw him fight the nightmare, she felt his hand wrap around her wrist and somehow, he had flipped her on her back, he was on top of her shaking her, almost as if he was fighting for his life.

"Booth wake up!" She said a little more forcefully, jerking against his grip on her arms. He hands still had a punishing grip on her arms. "Seeley, wake up, you're having a nightmare."

His eyes snapped open. "Oh God Bones!" He rolled off of her. He started pacing the room. She let him do that for a couple of minutes. The morning still dark, the moonlight streaming in the room. He stopped and stared out the window, opening up the curtain a little. She saw clearly now the thin white scars that were across his back.

"Seeley . . ." She whispered softly, pulling him into a hug.

The snow had quit falling about two hours before, leaving a pristine white blanket throughout the neighborhood. They stood there for several minutes, looking at the snow. Brennan finally broke their silence. "I need to go on my morning run. Is there a loop or something in this neighborhood where I can go?" She reached for her tennis shoes.

"You run?" He was completely astonished. "Please say you don't run on the streets of DC by yourself."

"No, I normally run at the gym, then go to work." She answered him.

"Well, if you can keep up with me, then you can come with me." He told her.

"Do you run the streets of DC by yourself?" She questioned him.

"Yes."

"Why is it okay for you then and not for me? Oh, do you have an extra sweatshirt for me? I forgot one." He threw an extra sweatshirt at her while she was pulling back her hair.

"Because Bones, I have a gun." He joked with her. He pulled on his tennis shoes and led her out the door into the cold, winter air.

Brennan was shocked by the chill in the air. He helped her stretch, and she helped him, and off they went to run out their frustrations.

---------

Booth ran rhythmically down the street, Brennan easily matching his pace. She heard him humming softly. The snow crunched underneath their feet and the sun was beginning to rise, the rays bouncing off the snow. They stopped back in front of the house, Brennan breathing a little bit harder.

"You okay Bones?" Booth asked, throwing in a charm smile.

"Never better." She smiled at him. She stood back upright, pulling her hair out of the pony tail. She didn't notice that he was making a snowball, and by the time she noticed it was too late. The small, offending, cold object hit her square in the chest.

"Booth that was cold!" She exclaimed, shaking the snow off of the FBI sweatshirt.

She went to stoop down to make when he stopped her. He had wrapped his arms around her waist and was spinning her in a circle. She started laughing.

He loved hearing her laugh, and he joined right in. Martha Booth looked out the window from where she was in the kitchen making breakfast.

She turned and looked at her grandson who was currently working on trying to get his grandfather to play checkers with him. "Parker, Honey, your dad and Temperance are outside, go join them."

"So cool!" Parker ran up the stairs and grabbed his snow boots and coat. Martha helped him put on his coat and smiled at him.

"I love you so much Parks." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you to Grandma." He yelled as he ran out the door.

Robert came up behind his wife, joining her at the picture window. "He's going to be okay isn't he? I heard his nightmare last night." Robert shuddered. He wanted so desperately to reach out to his son, but he didn't know how.

"I think with her at his side, he can make it through anything. I better get to making the hot chocolate the way he likes it." She kissed her husband on the cheek.

"Us Booth men need strong women to put up with us." He complimented her. Robert heard his son laughing right along with his partner as their snowball fight ensued, along with the screeches of his grandson. "I don't know how to talk to him any more Martha." He admitted.

"Just talk with him." She heard the sound of the kettle, and turned to retrieve the advice.

----------

Jared soon came down the stairs, with three perfect little girls in tow, each one with their hair in a perfect pony tail. Booth, Brennan, and Parker were all sitting at the breakfast bar drinking their hot chocolates. Parker was perched on Booth's lap.

"Seeley, hot chocolate for breakfast?" His brother looked. "Mindy won't let the girls have any sugar at all before noon."

"Then it's a good thing that Rebecca and I don't mind that he had coco puffs, which isn't any different from hot chocolate."

"I didn't know that you still spoke with Rebecca." Jared continued on.

"It's called co-parenting. We try it when it comes to our son." Booth put down the paper and kissed his son on the head. "Go find my phone and give Mommy a call okay."

"Okay Daddy." Parker scampered up the stairs.

"Bones that sweatshirt is all wet." Booth commented, effectively ignoring his brother. She smacked him on the arm.

"If you hadn't assualted me with a snowball, then I would still be dry." She defended herself.

"Temperance, why don't you take it off and hand it to me." Martha walked towards her.

"I'm sure it would smell. Booth and I went on a run this morning." She was protesting the idea of removing the sweatshirt.

"Oh Honey, I raised two boys. I did their laundry. I know smelly. Hand it here before you catch a cold." Martha demanded.

Brennan knew she wouldn't win the battle, so she gave in. She stripped the sweatshirt. Booth looked over at her, and was getting ready to say something smart when he noticed the bruises on her arms. It was definitely in the form of handprints. "Bones?" He pointed to the bruises.

"I ran into the door jam last night trying to find the bathroom." She shrugged it off, knowing that he would feel incredibly guilty. Booth looked at her. She couldn't lie worth a damn.

**

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AN: Hit the button and send a review - I'm sick, so it makes me happy. Anyway, I'm kinda stuck on where to go, and I have to go out of town for three weeks in two days, so this may be the last chapter, unless I feel persuaded to write more. Let me know what you think, and where else I should take this. Hope the year started off great for yall.**


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight:_

Booth took off after her. There was no way he was going to let her just shrug something off like that. He saw the bruises on her arms and he knew that there was only one way those bruises could have gotten there - him.

He knocked on the door and quietly entered. He saw her standing in the sitting room that was attached on to the bedroom.

"Bones." Booth addressed her softly. She turned around, pulling on a long sleeve shirt. He stopped her from pulling it on over her tank and put his hand over the bruise. It was a perfect fit. "Damn it." He cursed out.

"Booth, don't." She said sternly. "You didn't mean to do it."

"Door jam my ass! Why didn't you tell me about it?" He demanded.

"You didn't mean to do it, you were asleep!" She pleaded with him. Brennan didn't want him blaming himself for something he didn't have control over. "You were having a nightmare, I tried to wake you up but it had taken you over."

He started pacing around the room. "You aren't safe with me." He whispered.

"You are the only person I ever felt safe with." Brennan confessed.

"Bones," Booth caught what she said. "I'm not going to hurt you again. You aren't safe with me."

She studied his face. There was a hurt there that hadn't been present in their years of working together. "Hey, you keep me safe."

"You could have fooled me." He spun around and dropped on one of the oversized chairs that was in the room.

"You are the best man I have ever known." She dropped down in front of him and held his gaze. "You are strong, smart, a great father. You would never hurt someone. You would fight to the end for me. And yes you do keep me safe. You are a great partner and my best friend Booth." She reached up and cupped his cheek.

He gazed at the arm prints he left on her arms. The reality of what had actually happened didn't really matter to him. All that mattered to him were the bruises that he gave her. "Bones, I'm dangerous." He stood up abruptly and dashed out of the room. She heard the resounding slam of the front door. She leaned back on the chair and sighed. All she could do now was wait for him to come to his senses.

--

Brennan quickly showered and changed to start her day. She opened her laptop and started answering her multiple emails that had flooded her inbox. So much for a peaceful week.

She pulled up some pictures of a crime scene that Zach was working on with another agent, she was so engrossed with the pictures she didn't hear Parker rapping on the door and silently letting himself in the room.

He made his way toward her and settled on to her lap. "Bones what are you looking at?"

"A crime scene that Zach sent me." She replied, quickly shutting her laptop. "You don't need to be looking at that. What's wrong Honey?"

"I don't feel so well." He answered her.

"Parker, I'm not really so good with kids." She tried to tell him as he snuggled into her. He actually felt a little warm. She was a little surprised. "Okay Sweetie. Let's call Daddy and find a thermometer."

She tried Booth's cell phone with no avail. She left him a message and picked Parker up and trudged down the stairs with him. Brennan prayed she would find Martha quickly.

She found Martha standing by the sink. "Martha we need a thermometer. Parker's not feeling so well."

Martha nodded. "He looks just like his father." She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out the digital thermometer and handed it to her. "You going to be okay Parks?"

"I have Bones. Where's Daddy?"

"Oh he's out right now. But he will be here real soon." Brennan reassured the small child. "We'll go upstairs and watch a DVD on the computer okay?"

"Which one?" Parker asked, coughing a little bit. The thermometer was hanging in his mouth.

"Whatever one you want." She replied settling him on her hip. "It's a little over 100 Buddy. Let's go relax."

Martha smiled at her and watched as she made her way up the stairs. Robert turned and looked at his wife. "I'm going to go find my son and talk some sense into him."

"Robert?" Martha stopped him, handing her keys to him. "Be a father to him okay. That is what he needs right now."

--

Robert turned into the high school that he knew so well, for he and Martha had spent many days at the principal's office often finding out what misdeeds her younger son had spent many a days doing. Robert had often chided him, telling him that if he put half the time into his studies that he did chasing girls or playing football that he would have been a genius. He waved to the custodian who was there cleaning up the halls, making her way to the football field. He glanced around and found him running the track around the field and decided that it was time they talked.

Booth was humming the unmistakable cadence that he had run to while being an Army ranger, pushing himself harder and harder until he ran out of steam, and then he pushed himself even harder. It pained Robert to see his son doing it to himself, but he waited until the right time.

Booth saw his father coming up to him, and he pushed himself back onto his feet, walking over to the fence to stretch.

"Seeley." His father started out.

"Dad don't." He stopped his father from trying to justify what he had done to her. His Bones . . . He couldn't believe that he had bruised her.

"Seeley listen to me." Robert wasn't going to back down. He knew that his son was just as stubborn as he was. "Nightmares can do things to people. There were nights that I have kicked your mother in my sleep when I was dreaming that I was running through those damn jungles. Son, I know what you are going through."

"Dad . . . I hurt her. I can't trust myself to protect her anymore." Booth grounded out. "I put those bruises there. I no longer can keep her from that damn desert."

"Seeley, Temperance is a whole hell of a lot stronger than your mother. She strikes me as the kind of woman that can protect herself, and probably give you a run for your money. Temperance is not looking for you to keep her from the desert, she is looking for you to help you out of it. Give her some credit." Robert advised his son.

"I can't lose her like I did Michael." Booth spoke softly.

"You'll lose her if you keep shutting her out." Robert kept on. "You need to trust her."

"I trust her with my life."

"I can tell. We need to be getting back. Parks is running a slight fever and your doctor is keeping him occupied, but Parker wants his dad."

Booth nodded his head, going with his dad back to the SUV.

"How did you know how to find me?"

"I just know you Son, better than what anyone gives me credit for." Robert clapped his son on the back, handing him a hot coffee he had picked up on the way.

"Thanks Dad." Booth accepted the coffee letting it warm him up, wondering how he was going to make it up to his partner.

_AN: I have the general story line mapped out, but don't know how long I am going to go. Anyway, please review, it feeds the author's soul and rocks her socks. There are so many place I could take this, if you have an idea, let me know! Thanks for reading._


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine:_

Booth wandered into the house after cancelling the play date with Christopher. He felt awful leaving Brennan with Parker, especially when Parker was sick. Parker had a tendency of being a little clingy, and Brennan just wasn't what Booth would ever call the motherly type. He first ran into his mother, quickly giving her a kiss on the cheek. She handed him some hot tea to warm him up after his run in the snow.

"I heard about Parker Mom."

"Temperance is up there with him. I was going to take him something to eat. I was going to take him Gatorade."

"I'll get it Mom. He hates Gatorade. It actually makes his stomach hurt. Let me go up and see what is wrong." Booth set the coffee mug down on the island and quickly made his way up the stairs.

Brennan barely registered the door opening as she stroked Parker's hair as she read to him slowly. He had steadily grown worse, coughing more frequently even after she had given him a cough suppressant. Parker had cuddled into her side, his nose dripping on her dry clean only ensemble. Booth closed his eyes burning the scene into his memory. He made his way over to the bed, settling down next to his partner and son.

"Daddy?" Parker was miserable and it didn't take a father to realize that. Parker looked up from Bones' embraced as Booth dropped a quick kiss on Parker's head.

"I heard you weren't feeling well Bub? What's going on?" He felt the heat radiating off of Parker.

"I feel hot and icky." Parker replied through coughs.

"I have him cough suppressant an hour ago and Children's Tylenol. I made him switch to a big t-shirt to help with his temperature." Brennan told him quietly as Parker drifted off to sleep. "He should be ready for another dose in three hours."

He picked Parker up and put him in his old bedroom. He didn't want Parker to be in the room with them just in case he had another nightmare. Booth knew that there was one thing that he would never do: put his loved ones in danger willingly. Booth lingered over his progeny for a couple of more minutes, hearing Brennan in the doorway.

"Thank you so much Bones." He whispered as she walked into the room.

"It wasn't a problem. He just needed someone to sit with him and watch movies with him. Did you know they made an entire movie about monsters?" Booth just stared at her for a moment as she continued. "I mean the entire concept of the movie is based on something that doesn't exist. They could make some great movies and television shows based on archaeology and anthropology."

He draped his arm around her shoulders, "I really have to buy you a television." He led her back to the room that they were occupying for their stay. "I guess we need to talk a little bit."

Brennan nodded and settled on the oversized chair next to the window. She watched him struggle with where to start, not that she could blame him, who wants to relive the worst moments of their lives. She struggled with wanting to reach out to him, but sat mutely trying to figure out the best way on how to help him.

He paced the length of the room trying to catch his breath. She heard his breathing hitch. She walked up beside him and placed her hand on his chest, steadying him and her for a moment. It was a simple gesture that meant so much with one act. Booth placed his hand over hers, and inhaled deeply. She looked down and saw little miniscule scars on his knuckles.

"How did you get these scars?" She flipped his hand over in her hand, studying the little marks. She knew from years of experience that they were defensive marks, but every scar had a story behind it.

"I got those during a bare knuckle boxing match in Iraq. My knuckles got all bloody by the end of the match, but I won." Booth chuckled at the memory.

Brennan smiled. She heard Zach talk about his experience in country, and she knew all about the bonding of the alpha males. "Sounds like you have some good memories." 

Booth took her hand and led her out of Parker's room, deciding that they needed a change in scenery. Booth poured them a couple of drinks while she settled out on the sun porch. The space heater was blowing, warming up the small room. He looked out, seeing his parents walking down the drive.

"Yeah the guys there were like my brothers, especially my Ranger Unit. We saw more combat, completed more missions than any other team over there. Mike was the brother than I never had."

"You have a brother." Brennan pointed out, teasing him.

"You know what I mean . . ." He trailed off. He draped his arm easily around her shoulders, wondering when they had become comfortable with each other. They had covered so much ground in not a little time, and it was causing his mind to spin. He knew he had always loved her, but never wanted to have taken advantage of her like that.

"I heard that Rebecca is coming up for Michael's funeral." Brennan mentioned to him.

"Yeah. She and Molly used to be really good friends. When Becca moved, they lost touch. It really was a shame. Mike and I used to say that our kids would be the best of friends. Molly was pregnant, she never told any of us." Booth quieted down. "I would have been there helping her. Becca could have given her advice."

"She just lost the love of her life and she was dealing with being pregnant. I can't imagine how that clouds the judgment. Molly is strong and she had Mike's family. She wasn't really alone." Brennan pointed out to him.

"I know, but when we were on our last mission and he had gotten hit, I promised him I would take care of Molly." Booth told her.

Brennan leaned into him, "You did the best you could. After you watched your friend pass away, you got capture, tortured, and beaten to a bloody pulp. How long were you in prison?"

"Six months." His whispered. "Then there was months of recovery at Walter Reed." He closed his eyes, holding his partner close to him. "It was so dark in that cell." He began. "I didn't know if it was day or night, and the only thing that kept me going was that little boy upstairs."

She nodded, opting to stay quiet. He stood and turned toward the windows, staring out at the freshly fallen snow. He seemed so lost, venturing into memories that he rarely touched. "Booth you aren't back there. You are safe here with me."

Brennan reached out and touched his cheek. He shuddered at the softness of her skin, which was a stark contrast to the rough fists that grazed his cheek so many years ago. He gazed into her eyes, tilting her chin up, he brought his lips a hair width away from hers. They could feel their breath intermingling, and just as he went to close the fraction of a distance, Parker's cry for his father, followed by the door opening revealing three very cold little girls and their not so happy mother, snapped them back into reality. He squeezed her shoulder, guiding her back up the stairs to the person who needed him at that very second.

**AN: I know it has been forever since I have updated this story, it has just been on my backburner while I was getting out some other ideas that were clouding this one. Please review, it rocks my socks!**


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